We've Reached The Future
by spacecrazegirly
Summary: Companion piece to Only Towards The Future. A series of one shots showing the lives of the characters outside the main story. Anything from humor to tragedy.
1. Uncle Zoro's Pregnant

**Just something I'm trying to get over my writers block. Requests accepted, review or PM me if you have an idea.**

* * *

"Daddy, why are you rubbing Mommy's feet?" A small girl asked, darting up to the couch.

"Because Mommy's feet hurt, Kuina," Her mother replied, placing a hand on her slightly rounded stomach and smiling down at her daughter.

"Why?"

Her father answered, "Because Mommy's carrying your sister or brother."

Kuina's eyes lit up, "REALLY?!"

"Zoro," Tashigi scolded playfully. "I thought we were going to tell her next month?"

The former Pirate Hunter shrugged and moved on to his wife's second foot. Kuina climbed onto the couch and then onto Zoro's shoulders. Tashigi laughed as Kuina grabbed onto Zoro's nose to haul herself onto his shoulders. "When's the baby going to come out?"

"Not for a while," Tashigi answered.

"Oh." Kuina made a face. "How long's that gonna be?"

"Five months," Tashigi said. "About a month after your sixth birthday."

"You mean my new sister's going to miss my birthday?"

"Your new sister or brother will still be in my tummy when it's your birthday," Tashigi said, trying to pick her words carefully. Trying to explain how babies work to a five year old was hard. "But they'll be there for your seventh birthday. Is that alright?"

Kuina seemed to contemplate it, but then nodded. "Alright!"

"Sweetie, how about you go outside and play with your friends," Zoro said.

Kuina pouted. "But I wanna wait here for my new sister."

"It might be a boy," Tashigi said. " And remember what I said? Do you want to wait here for five months? That's a long time to sit still. Go out for a bit, and we'll call you when dinner's ready."

"Okay!" She said, launching herself off of Zoro's shoulders, landed in a crouch, and sprinted out of the door.

Both of her parents watched her leave, "It was your idea to have more than one," Zoro said, raising an eyebrow as Tashigi pulled her foot out of Zoro's hands and lowered them to the floor.

"It'll be alright." She said, smiling. "Once this one is older, they can keep each other occupied."

Zoro laughed and held out a hand, helping Tashigi to her feet. She braced her back and walked into the kitchen. Zoro followed her and started setting the table.

* * *

"Cara! Cara!" Kuina shouted, her bare feet pressing into the soft sand that bordered the White-White Sea.

A blond girl with wings and looking the same age as her appeared on the ledge above her and called out, waving. "Kuina!"

"Guess what?!" Kuina shouted.

"What?!"

"I'M GONNA GET A SISTER!" Kuina shouted, running to the stairs carved into the ledge and meeting her friend at the top. "Daddy says that Mommy's gonna have a baby!"

Cara gasped. "You're so lucky! I want a sister."

Kuina smiled and grabbed Cara's hand. "I can't wait to meet her. But Mommy says it's gonna take a while for the baby to come out."

"So you have to wait?"

"Yeah. Mommy said that she'll come out after my birthday."

"That sucks," Cara said. "Wanna go to the docks? My Mommy says a new ship from the Blue Sea arrived."

"Yeah!"

The girls ran off, running into Cara's mother, Conis, on their way to the docks. "What are you two doing?" She asked.

"We wanna see the Blue Sea Dwellers," Cara said.

"And what have I told you about them?" Conis asked. "Not all of them are nice. These ones are pirates."

"But my Daddy was a pirate!" Kuina complained. "And he's nice!"

Conis looked down at their faces, both of them pouting and staring up with wide eyes. She sighed. "Alright. I'll take you there, but you have to stay with me, alright?"

The girls cheered and skipped along behind Conis. The docks, built specifically for visitors from the Blue Sea, soon came into view. Conis stopped the girls at the entrance. "Alright. You can see the ship from here."

"But I wanna get closer," Cara complained.

"It isn't safe yet," Conis explained, leaning down to speak face to face with her daughter. "Gan Fall is going to speak to them soon. But you can watch them from here for now, alright? Stay on the beach. I'm going to go help him." She pointed the girls to the beach and entered the docks.

* * *

Kidd growled at the many angels wandering around the docks, and his fingers twitched. "How many of them do you think I could kill before they noticed something was wrong?" He asked his first mate.

Killer shrugged, "Twenty. I'd say fifty, but there doesn't seem to be much metal around here."

Kidd spat over the side and eyed a beautiful woman walking towards the ship. He licked his lips. "At least this place has something going for it. Their women look fuckable."

The woman stopped not far from the ship and began to speak with a grey haired man. Another sight caught Kidd's eye. Two children running up the beach. There were a lot of kids around, but it was the dark haired girl of the pair that attracted his attention. She didn't have the wings everyone else had.

"What's with her?" He asked Killer, who looked over.

"The kid?"

"That one. The wingless one."

Killer stared over the railing for a minute. "Maybe she's the kid of someone from the Grand Line."

Kidd grunted, his attention turning back to the woman and the old man, who were approaching.

"Excuse me," The woman called up. "May we come aboard? We would like to speak with you."

Killer looked to Kid, who waved his hand dismissively. "Let 'em on. I don't care."

Killer nodded, and him and Wire lowered a rope ladder. A few minutes later, both angels were on the deck. "I presume you're the Captain," The old man said, speaking to Kidd. "I am Gan Fall, one of the leaders of Skypia. This is Conis. May I ask your name?"

"It's Kidd," Kidd said sharply, stepping forward and towering over both of them. Neither one looked too intimidated. "How do we get back to the sea?"

"That's simple," Conis said. She pointed to the east. "If you follow the beach that way you'll come to the edge. Although it's a very long drop down."

"So there's no way to get down?" Killer asked.

"Of course there's a way. We can summon an octopus to float you down safely," Conis explained. "You're not the first pirates to come to this place."

"So that explains that kid," Killer said.

"Kid?" Gan Fall repeated.

Killer jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "The wingless brat."

"Oh, that's Kuina." Gan Fall said. "She's like a granddaughter to me. Both of her parents are from the Blue Sea, and live up here."

"You can stay?" Wire said.

"Oh no. They have special permission." Conis said. "You have to leave as soon as your log pose resets. We're still recovering from a war, so we don't want any strangers up here."

"So what gives them permission to stay up here?"

"Kuina's father helped stop the war," Gan Fall explained. "What do you plan to do here?"

Kidd frowned and looked over the beach. "Depends. Whatcha got here?"

"Not much," Conis said. "We don't have much treasure, most of the gold has returned to the Blue Sea. And we use a different currency here as well. We have an old forest that way," She gestured to the northeast, "And our city."

"You ain't got much," Kidd said.

"We know," Conis said. "I've never been to the Blue Sea myself, but from what we've heard from passing travelers it isn't much different from an ordinary island on your Grand Line."

"How long does it take for the log pose to reset?" Bachan asked. "How long do we have to stay?"

"About a week," Conis answered. "And as long as you don't threaten out peace here, you can roam the island. But do keep in mind that we are recovering from a war. Please don't do anything that would…"

"Don't do anything stupid," Gan Fall finished for her.

Kidd sighed. "Yeah, sure. So we can leave in a week?"

Conis smiled happily. "That's right. Thank you for cooperating."

* * *

"Zoro," Tashigi said, handing him a pot, which he transferred to the sink. "Could you go find Kuina? I saw her run off with Cara."

"Sure," He gave her the ladle and grabbed his shoes and one of his swords, leaving the house. He walked up the beach and found foot prints in the sand, leading up to the upper part of the beach. He found his way to the main beach, silently proud that he had learned the island's layout well enough to not get lost.

He found Conis leaving the docks, and frowned at the ship docked. "Evening, Conis," He said.

"Hello Zoro," Conis smiled. "Are you looking for Kuina? She's over at the pavilion with Cara."

Zoro nodded, "Thanks. Whose ship is that?"

"It belongs to a man named Kidd. Do you know him?"

Zoro grimaced. "Eustass Kidd. They're the Kidd Pirates. Be careful around them."

"They didn't seem too bad," Conis said, looking back over her shoulder. "I think they got the hint that they need our help to get off the island."

Zoro nodded, but he still had a concerned look in his eye. "Keep an eye on them, just in case. We've worked with him before, but pirates don't form lasting alliances very often."

Conis nodded, "I'll inform Gan Fall. Thank you for the warning." She started to turn back. "Could you bring Cara back to my house for me?"

"Sure," Zoro nodded. Conis headed back towards the ship and Gan Fall while Zoro began walking up the beach.

* * *

"Hey, Captain," Bachan said, drawing a grunt from Kidd. "There's another person without wings. He looks pretty familiar."

"He's probably the one who helped stop the war," Kidd answered from his place laid out on the deck. "What's he look like?"

"He's got green hair, and is wearing a hakamari. He looks… A lot like the Pirate King's first mate."

"What?" Kidd shot up, shoving himself to his feet, and joined Bachan at the railing. He narrowed his eyes against the setting sun and examined the man walking along the beach. He did have green hair, but he was only carrying one sword.

"Kuina!" The man called out, and the little girl he had seen earlier came running from an open structure not far up the beach. The blond winged girl followed.

"Daddy!" The kid shouted the same time the blond kid shouted, "Uncle Zoro!"

"Zoro?" Killer repeated. "That's really him?"

The few Kidd Pirates on the deck watched in fascination as the feared swordsman of the Strawhat Pirates knelt down and caught the dark haired girl as she overshot her stop and began to stumble. He held out his other arm, and the blond girl clambered up onto his shoulder. Zoro stood, one kid on his shoulders and his kid under one of his arms. He went back the way he came, entering the docks and coming close enough to see him clearly. Kidd immediately noticed his distinguishing scar, present on his updated wanted poster that had been released not too long after the crew had reached Raftel.

"What's he doing up here?" Bachan hissed quietly. "Does that mean Strawhat's been up here too?"

Kidd hushed him as Zoro began to talk. "Here's Cara, Conis. She insisted on seeing you." He set the girl on her feet, keeping the other one under his arm.

"Cara," Conis scolded lightly.

"Sorry Mommy. But…"

Kidd turned to Killer and whispered, "It's really him! If he's here, we're screwed."

They both continued to listen to the conversation below them. "–Kuina's been excited, with Tashigi, and now with the arrival of more pirates."

"Excited?"

"Oh, right. We haven't told anyone yet. Tashigi–"

He was interrupted when Cara shouted, "UNCLE ZORO'S PREGNANT!"

No one aboard the ship could hold back their laughter, and Zoro's face turned red. "Yeah. Tashigi's having a baby. Thanks, Cara."

The little girl giggled, and Kuina let out a shriek of laughter when Zoro lifted her and set her on his shoulders.

"Congratulations, Zoro," Conis said enthusiastically. "I'm sure Kuina will be happy to have a sibling. How's Tashigi doing?"

"I'm getting' a new sister!" Kuina called.

"She's doing great. I have to get home; dinner was almost ready when I left. She'll be waiting."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

Zoro said goodbye and left. As soon as he was far enough away, Kidd stood from his crouched position beside the railing and headed to the galley, where most of the crew was.

"No one do anything stupid," He ordered. "There's a Strawhat in this place. That probably means this is their territory." He sighed and sat down next to Killer, "Anything fun we can do was just tossed out the window. Whose idea was it to come up here?"

Killer just shrugged.


	2. Temper Tantrum

"Kale, hold still," Nami ordered.

"But I don't wanna wear that!" She complained.

"You have to look nice," Nami said. "It's a high class passenger ship. And what's wrong with wearing a dress? You'll look pretty."

"I don't like dresses," Kale muttered, crossing her arms determinedly in front of her. Nami sighed in frustration and grabbed a hairbrush instead, and began to untangle the many knots in her daughter's long, dark hair. She put up a fuss, whining loudly every time Nami pulled her hair.

"Behave," Nami said sharply, as she began to braid. A minute later, Nami tied off the braid and patted the eight year old on her shoulder. "Your hair is finished. Please just put on the dress. It will help us blend in better."

"No."

"Kale." Nami raised her eyebrow and met Kale's eyes through the mirror.

"No!"

"Kale," Nami crossed her arms.

Kale slumped in her chair. "Fine."

Nami smiled and retrieved the dark blue dress laid out on the bed, next to her own black one. Kale obediently lifted her arms over her head as Nami pulled off her shirt and shorts, and then slid the dress over her head.

"You look cute," Nami said, buttoning up the back and gently placing her hands on Kale's shoulders.

"I look like a girl," She huffed.

Nami laughed, turning around and readying herself. "You are a girl. It's only for three days, and then we'll be at Sabaody. If you behave, I'll bring you to the amusement park. How's that?"

Kale looked up curiously at the mention of an amusement park. "Sabaody has one?"

"That's right," Nami said, smiling. "They've got a roller coaster, and a Ferris wheel. It's lots of fun."

"And I can go?"

"Only if you behave," Nami reminded her, pulling her long orange hair back and pinning it in place and pulling her sleeve over her tattoo. She turned to her daughter. "Are you ready to go?"

Her expression darkened, but she nodded. "I wanna ride the roller coaster first."

"That's the spirit," Nami said.

* * *

The passenger ship was exquisite, fancy carpets and tapestries. Stained glass windows instead of portholes in the dining area and ballroom. Kale stayed close to Nami's side as they boarded, but she made a couple of friends within the first few hours and she went gallivanting off with two boys her own age. Nami spotted her a few times that night, as she hung around in the ballroom.

"Good evening, Miss," A handsome man said, sauntering up to Nami's side. "How are you?"

"I'm enjoying myself," She replied, taking a glass of champagne off of a passing waiter's tray. "Why are you interested?"

"Because I believe your daughter and my sons have become friends." He said.

"Oh?" Nami turned her full attention to him.

The man nodded and pointed to the trio harassing a nearby waiter for a glass of alcohol. Nami laughed, "You're right. My name is Natalie. What's yours?"

"Tristan." He replied. "If I may ask, what are your reasons for travelling to the Archipelago? It's become quite dangerous."

"I can handle myself," Nami said. "I'm visiting a few friends of mine, who live near Sabaody. That, and the only way to get my daughter to dress like that was to bribe her with the amusement park. What about you?"

"Visiting Mariejois on official business."

"Oh, are you a Marine?"

"Yes," Tristan said.

Nami smiled mischievously. "What rank?"

"I am a Vice Admiral. Recently promoted."

"Very impressive," Nami said. "My Father was a Marine. He's retired now. My Mother was too."

"So are you visiting them?"

"Oh no. I'm visiting Camie."

"I don't believe I know her."

"You wouldn't," Nami said. "She's an old friend of mine. I – Kale! Leave that man alone and come here!" Tristan followed Nami's gaze and saw his two sons and Kale looking over at them. All three of them had fistfuls of the waiter's jacket, as he tried to keep his tray from falling over.

"Evan, Tate. You come over here too." Tristan ordered, his voice commanding.

Reluctantly, the troublemakers released the waiter, who toppled over, and slowly trudged towards the adults. Kale looked satisfied, while the boys looked guilty.

Tristan began to lecture his kids, while Nami crouched down in front of Kale. "I told you to be on your best behavior," She said.

"But Tate said that champagne tastes like milk, and we wanted to find out."

Nami looked taken aback. "Milk? Where'd he get that from? It doesn't taste like milk."

"What does it taste like?"

Nami sighed and held out her glass. Kale took it and placed her lips to the rim. Her eyes went wide and she pulled it away in disgust. "That tastes gross! Tate! You lied!"

Tristan looked disappointed, gripping his son's shoulder. "Alright. Head back to your cabin. It's late. Go see your mother."

"You too, Kale. Go back to our cabin, alright?" Kale started to protest, but Nami shook her head and simply said, "The amusement park." Kale snapped her mouth shut and walked away.

"How old is your daughter?"

"She's eight." Nami said. "I feel sorry for my mother when I was her age. My sister and I must have been a handful, if we were anything like her."

Tristan laughed, "Tate's eleven, and Evan's six. They're good boys for the most part. I'm hoping they grow up to be Marines."

"What do they want to do?" Nami asked.

"They want to be adventurers," Tristan sighed. "They've heard rumors about the Sky Island and want to go there. Have you heard the legend?"

"Yes," Nami nodded. "My friends and I heard about it when we were in Jaya."

"Where is that?"

"Close to Navarone, or rather, G8. The locals weren't very helpful when we went to learn more."

"They don't believe me when I say it isn't real," Tristan said.

Nami tilted her head, "Why are you trying to tell them that?"

"Because I want them to realize that places like that don't exist."

"But Skypia does exist," Nami said with an innocent smile.

Tristan looked over at her with an expression of disbelief. "You can't be serious. It's an old fairy tale. It's not real." His tone left no room for argument, but Nami took that as a challenge.

"I've been there," Nami said. "It's beautiful. Not much to do there now that the war ended, but it's still a nice place to visit. Well worth the dangers of getting there."

Tristan laughed humorlessly. "Funny. Don't go poisoning my sons' minds with old stories. I thought you would be more responsible than that. You're a parent, right? Don't you want your child to grow up a dignified person?"

"Excuse me?" Nami said sharply. "Are you insulting my daughter?"

"She is very reckless."

"She is independent." Nami said. "She is smart enough to understand what's real and what's not."

"I thought you said your father was a Marine."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"He might have raised you better. I understand wanting to have a little fun, but going overboard isn't very respectable."

Nami stared at him incredulously. "You think wanting something out of life isn't respectable?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you implied that," Nami said, jabbing a gloved finger into his chest. "What's wrong with believing fairy tales? Are you afraid your kids will want to search for them? Are you afraid your kids will find something to believe in? To fight for?"

"My kids are going to be respectful Marines."

"You can't force them to do anything." Nami snapped at him, slamming her glass onto a nearby table and storming away.

* * *

Tristan wouldn't let his kids talk to Kale. The girl moped while staying close to Nami for most of the next morning, and spent the afternoon at the free buffet. Nami avoided Tristan whenever he tried to approach her, the former pirate sending glares his way.

He finally snuck up on her while she was standing at the railing. "I'm sorry," He said.

"For what?" She said harshly.

"For arguing last night."

"You're not sorry for denying me?"

"You were being ridiculous. I understand that you were just trying to prove a point, but–"

"Just stop right there." Nami said. "Yes, I was trying to prove a point. That sometimes legends can be real. Especially when I've lived through some legends."

"How the hell can someone get to Skypia, even if it does exist?"

"The Knock-Up current," Nami said. "A skilled navigator could successfully sail a ship vertically, and reach the sea in the sky."

Tristan shook his head, "That's impossible."

Nami smiled sadly, "But that's what we did. We did the impossible. We…" She looked out over the water. "We lived for our dreams, no matter how impossible they were."

"Dreams?"

"Marines wouldn't know as well as we did. He made sure we could achieve them…"

"And what was yours?"

"What is," Nami corrected. "I'm still working towards mine. I'm going to draw a map of the entire world."

"That's impossible."

"There you go again with the impossible," Nami said. "I've been up and down the Grand Line countless times, and through a couple of the seas. It's not impossible if you try."

"How did you manage that?"

"Listening to fairy tales," Nami said. "Having a parent that told me to make my dream come true. Having encouraging friends. And…" She trailed off, lowering her gaze. "Being free."

"What do you mean?"

Nami shook her head, "Nothing. I'm still angry. Leave me alone."

Tristan left, slowly walking away. Kale joined her a few minutes later, bringing a plate full of desserts with her. Nami smiled and plucked a cookie from the top of the pile of sweets.

"I don't like him," Kale said.

"That's fine," Nami said, ruffling her hair.

* * *

They arrived at Sabaody Archipelago the next day, Nami heading up to Shakky's bar. Rayleigh was surprisingly absent. "Where is he?" She asked.

"He went to visit an old girlfriend," Shakky laughed. "I'm going to miss him."

Nami nodded, introducing Kale. She brought her to the amusement park later that day, and ran into Tristan, dressed in full Marine uniform. Tate and Evan were sulking behind him. Kale stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's not polite," Tristan scolded.

Nami crossed her arms and sent him her best glare. He took a step back. "You do not scold my child."

"She's undisciplined."

"I thought you wanted to apologize." Nami accused.

"To you. Not her attitude. How did you raise her?"

"Well, considering I met her when she was five, I raised her to be what she wanted. And if she wants to do something, she's going to do it."

"That's the morale of a pirate."

Nami laughed. "And guess what? I'm a pirate. Interesting how that works."

"You're a pirate?"

"Yes." Tristan drew his gun. "What are you going to do with that? Shoot me? This place is full of pirates. I'm wondering why you're dressed like that. It's like wearing a sign saying 'kill me'."

"No one would dare attack a Marine."

Nami laughed again, a full blown howl of laughter. Several heads turned their way. "Mom," Kale whined, tugging at her shirt.

"Sorry, Kale." She said, wiping tears from her eyes. "You have no idea how pirates think," She said to Tristan. "It's dangerous not to know. But then again, not many Marines understand our reasons for being pirates. I have mine. They're very good reasons. You probably have your reasons for being a Marine. Don't take me as a cutthroat. I'm not." She grinned. "I'm an adventurer that happened to get slapped with the title of pirate. I'm going to draw a map of the world. That's what I'm going to do. What about you?"

She left him hanging, the Vice Admiral too stunned at her words to do anything as she walked past him and towards the amusement park. Kale skipped along behind her, expression one of pure happiness.

"Hey Dad," Evan said, "Can we go too?"

Tristan stared after her, before sighing, pulling off his blue necktie, and said "Sure."


	3. Riley's Birthday

"Nami" Natasha shouted eagerly as she spotted the woman walking down the road. Nami returned the wave enthusiastically, speeding up and jogging the rest of the way. "What are you going here?"

"I heard today was Riley's birthday," Nami called back. "I brought him a present."

Natasha jumped off the front porch and landed in front of Nami. "He's going to love that. Come inside, but please excuse the mess. All of his friends are over."

"As long as there's cake," Nami laughed, and followed her sister into the house.

Riley spotted her immediately, abandoning his wrestling match to grab Nami around the waist. "You're here!"

"Course I am," Nami said, patting his head. "It's your birthday, right? I missed the first few. I thought I'd better make up for it."

Riley laughed, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to his group of friends. "This is my pirate sister! She travels the seas going on adventures and stuff!"

Nami was bombarded with excited questions, and was dragged to the couch as the boys crowded around her. Clarissa brought her a piece of cake as she talked, sticking to the less violent stories. It was more for Clarissa's sake than the boys.

"After that, me and Chopper decided to help Kobato with the injured Marines. It worked out, because Kobato helped us get back to the Going Merry, our ship."

One of the boys, Nate, snorted. "That doesn't sound realistic. Floating down on a floating octopus?"

"Actually, I heard about that," Rhett said. "Commander Jonathan filed a complaint against Inspector Sheppard for letting the Strawhats get away."

Nami laughed, "Robin disguised herself as him, and he was mistaken for one of us."

"How did that work?"

"Usopp's a really good liar," She said. "He convinced the guard that the real inspector was a man named Condoriano, giving Robin a while longer to inspect the base and help us figure out a way to escape."

"Who's Usopp?" Nate sneered.

Nami smiled down at him, "Sogeking."

Nate closed his mouth and looked away with a huff. Nami continued with her story. "We managed to get away, but then we realized that they had taken all of our gold. So we had to go back and get it."

"Why would you do that? You could just steal more, right?"

"Well, we didn't steal the gold in the first place." Nami explained. "It was… Well, I doubt the Skypians or Shandians would have been willing to get it." She made a face, "And then we turned away a massive pillar of gold because we thought it was a weapon when they were just trying to thank us. Robin could have told us sooner. But the gold was a gift."

"So what happened next?" Riley asked.

"We hid in an empty dock and went to locate it. We tried in the safe, but it wasn't there. So we went to ask the Base Commander. It turns out all of the gold was in his office. So we took it and escaped."

"Just like that?" Rhett asked. "I've spoken to Jonathan, and he said you put up a fight."

"Well, we got caught on the sea gate, and had to use the octopus balloon to get out. We inflated it and flew away. I hope he didn't get in too much trouble," She said.

"He's fine," Rhett said. "The inspector got the brunt of the punishment. Demoted three ranks."

Nami laughed, "That man was an idiot. If it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't have escaped."

Rhett raised an eyebrow, "I should go thank him, then."

"If you want to," Nami said. "That reminds me," She stood up and retrieved her bag. Pulling out a small, wrapped package, she handed it to Riley. "Happy birthday."

Riley took it eagerly, tearing off the wrapping and opening the box. His friends crowded around him and Nami sat down beside Clarissa at the kitchen table. Riley's face turned to confusion as he looked into the box and pulled out a log pose. "What's this?"

"It's called a log pose," She explained.

"What does it do?"

"All adventurers have them," Nami said, holding out her wrist. "It's what helps guide you from island to island. Although this one is locked onto this island, and eternal pose."

"But I'm not going to get lost on my own island."

"Maybe not, but you might sail far away from the island and need a way to get back."

"But I don't have a boat."

Nami tilted her head, putting on an expression of confusion. "But I thought the one on the beach over there had your name on it."

Riley jumped to his feet and ran out the door. "Riley!" Rhett called out. "Wait for us!"

The family followed the group of boys down to the beach, where a child sized boat, complete with a white sail, was resting. Riley's name was carved near the stern, along the port side.

"Wow!" Riley exclaimed. "This is so cool! Is it mine?!"

"I told you I had to make up for the missed birthdays," Nami said. "Want to learn how to sail?"

Riley nodded.

* * *

She stayed a week, teaching Riley the basics of sailing, how to read the waves, and drilled into him that had to check the weather before he even thought about going out.

"Is it really safe for him?" Clarissa asked worriedly, the day before Nami was set to leave.

"I started learning when I was a few years younger than him," Nami said, as they watched him sail around the small bay. "And he's a fast learner. I have high hopes for him."

Rhett placed a comforting hand on Clarissa's shoulder, and wrapped his other arm around Nami's shoulders. "He looks happy." He said.

Nami couldn't help but smile at his words. "He does," She agreed. "I was always happy when I was on a ship."

"When will you stop by next?" Rhett asked.

Nami shrugged, "The next time I'm in the area, I guess. I'm heading to the New World right now. I need to map out one more route, and then it's off to North Blue."

"Be careful, alright?" Clarissa said.

"I will be," Nami said.

* * *

Riley followed Nami's ship for a while the next day, before shouting his goodbye and turning back.

"You know him?" One of the sailors asked. "He's very talented."

"He's my little brother," Nami told him. "Would you believe that he started learning last week?"

"No, I wouldn't."

Nami watched Riley's retreating form until he reached the island, and then until the island vanished over the horizon.


	4. Kale vs Kuina

"Hold it!" Admiral Kale shouted, as she spotted a familiar face wandering the island's main road. "Kuina, Captain of the Angel Pirates, you are under arrest!"

The dark haired woman being addressed casually drew one of her two swords and resting the dull edge of the red and black blade on her shoulder before turning around. "How ya been?" She asked with a sarcasm laced voice.

The youngest Admiral crossed her arms and stared impassively as she was surrounded by Kuina's crew. Several of them had angel wings, and Kale was reminded of the adventure stories her mother had told her when she was younger.

The first mate, a beautiful blond woman, stepped up to stand beside her Captain. Kale immediately recognized her from her wanted poster as well. The Angel of Death, Cara.

Slowly, Kale drew out the pieces of the Clima-tact and fitted them together, pointing the weapon at the sky. Bubble like spheres filled with wispy black smoke started forming, rising to rooftop level and condensing into one, large, storm cloud.

Kale caught the attention of a nearby Marine, cowering beside a building. "Evacuate the area," She ordered, and the Marine scurried away quickly.

"How sweet," Kuina mocked. "Are you concerned about the citizens?"

Kale glared, and the cloud sparked with lightning as she lowered her weapon and pointed it directly at Kuina.

"Don't take the attention away from yourself," Kale said, lunging forward and swinging her weapon at Kuina's head.

Kuina drew her second sword, crossing them above her head and blocking the hit. Kale immediately jumped back, letting herself fall to the ground, bracing herself with her hand, and swing her foot towards Kuina's legs, hoping to break her balance. The pirate was expecting it, flipping backwards and swinging her swords at Kale's exposed limb.

Kale drew back, but the blade cut through her navy blue pants. She straightened and split the Clima-tact into two pieces. Tightening her fists, she lunged to the right and braced herself against a building before using it for momentum. Kuina raised her swords to block, and sparks flew.

They traded blows for a while. Several members of the Angel Pirates tried to step in to help, but the first mate held them back.

Kale grinned as she got in a hit, leaving a red mark on Kuina's right forearm. Kuina winced and pulled back to recuperate. Kale circled her slowly, and caught a glance of the first mate's face. It was blank, with the slightest hint of worry.

Her attention was brought back to the fight by Kuina's attack. She returned the favour by slicing Kale's arm. Blood dripped down her arm and hand, making her grip on the Clima-tack slippery.

"What's that weapon called?" Kuina asked unexpectedly, surprising Kale. She took a step back and adjusted her grip.

"Why do you want to know?" Kale asked, lifting an arm to block another blow. The blade screeched as it dragged down the Clima-tact. Several spectators winced.

"I'm curious. It seems familiar." Kuina spun away from a wide swipe.

"It was a gift from my mother," Kale admitted. "Why?"

"Your mother?" Kuina seemed surprised. "Was she a Marine?" She took a deep breath and rested a hand on her knee, standing a safe distance away.

"No," Kale said, relaxing slightly. "Where'd you get your swords?"

Kuina grinned, "My father."

"Both of them?" Kale stiffened as Kuina came forward, and she swung both halves of the Clima-tact at Kuina, coming from either direction. The pirate dodged the first one, but the second one hit her right temple, cracking the skin. Kuina retreated slightly, shoving her sword's hilt into her mouth and pressing a hand against the wound.

"That's right. Both of them," She poke around the sword. "If your mother wasn't a Marine, what was she? No ordinary civilian has something like that."

Kale didn't answer, "You tell me who your father was first." She connected her Clima-tact, revealing its original shape. Kuina swung, her sword back in her hand. Kale lifted her pole and they connected with a loud, metallic ring. Both women stared into each other's eyes. Blue into green.

Kuina smiled smugly, "Roronoa Zoro. The Pirate Hunter from Strawhat's crew." Kale's eyes widened in surprise. "Betcha didn't expect that."

"We wondered what happened to him," Kale whispered to herself. "So he went to Skypia?"

It was Kuina's turn to look surprised. "You know about Skypia?"

Kale gestured around them, at the winged pirates. "Where else do people have wings?"

Kuina laughed, a genuine sound. "I'm impressed. Not many Marines are willing to believe in the existence of Sky Island. Are you surprised?"

"I know it exists," Kale said, "Bring up a foot and sending Kuina skidding a few feet back, breaking their stare off. "I'm not as naive as some of the Marines out there."

There was a shout from down the street, and a platoon of Marines, following the one Kale had ordered to evacuate the area. Kuina bit her lip and turned to her crew. "Get out of here. Meet me back at the ship."

Her first mate nodded quickly, sending a concerned glance at the approaching Marines. "Come on, let's go!" She waited until the crew had started running, turning to Kuina. "Be careful. You promised your parents that you would be before you left." She ran, not looking back.

Kuina's face morphed into an expression of relief when they vanished from sight. Kale frowned. "Your father's still alive?"

"What's it to you?" Kuina asked harshly, her previous mood vanishing and replaced with anger. "Sure, he's alive. Don't think you'll find him. Or the Strawhats."

"I know," Kale said. "Strawhat Luffy… I know." She stopped talking as the Marine platoon surrounded them, blocking off any chance of escape. Panic filled the pirate's eyes and she started attacking blindly. The battle dragged out as Kuina lashed out and Kale struggled to get on the offensive. Finally, Kale got the upper hand, stunning Kuina with a punch to the face. It gave her enough time to draw a dagger and send it through her opponent's chest.

Kuina cried out in pain, dropping her swords in the dirt and curling in on herself. Kale pulled the small blade free and allowed it to drop to the ground. She grabbed Kuina's arms as she began to fall, and gently lowered her to the ground, kneeling beside her.

"Damnit," Kuina gurgled. "I'm sorry, Dad. Mom." She glared at Kale.

Kale smiled sympathetically, no malice in her eyes. "I'm sorry," She whispered, keeping her voice low enough to not be overheard by the other Marines. "I'm a child of a Strawhat too. Nami. That's probably why this looks familiar," She tapped her Clima-tact.

Kuina stared incredulously at her, and then smiled back. "It's good to meet you, then." She coughed up blood, pressing a hand against her mouth. "Dad'll be sad. So will Mom. But…" She turned her gaze towards the sky. "Can I go home?"

Kale tightened her grip as Kuina went slack, the light in her eyes fading. Kale gently closed her eyes and laid her on the ground. She stood up and turned to the Captain standing near her. "You're dismissed. Make sure all the civilians are safe."

"But what about her crew?"

"Leave them," Kale snapped, pulling her authority. "I want a report, and make sure the civilians are alright. Those are orders."

The Captain saluted hesitantly, and began calling orders. When they were gone, Kale knelt down next to Kuina's body, and sheathed her fallen swords, red with her blood. When she touched the Kietsu, she shivered, feeling its bloodlust. But not towards her. She ran a finger along the dark coloured blade before sheathing it and picking up Kuina's body.

She ran into the Angel of Death, who lost her calm composure at the sight. "She wants to go home," Kuina told Cara, who took her fallen Captain, not even noticing the blood smearing her clothes. "And… Can you give Nami's regards to Zoro?"

"You…"

"I'm sorry," Kale said, wiping her cheek and smearing blood. "She was a worthy opponent."

Cara turned away without a word.

* * *

Kale was awarded for taking down a powerful pirate, but her heart wasn't in it. She followed the proper etiquette, and when she looked over the crowd, she didn't see her mother. Of course, Nami never came to anything Marine related, so she wasn't surprised. Briefly, she wondered if her mother knew Kuina was Zoro's daughter.

"Congratulations," The Fleet Admiral said, as she left the stage.

Kale turned to her superior, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. "Thank you, sir. It was my duty." She almost stumbled over the last word, saluted stiffly, and continued on her way.

* * *

_The youngest Admiral in history achieved a daring feat, taking on the dangerous Kuina, a pirate whose origins are unknown. It was a hard battle, but the Admiral came out victorious and brought justice to the world. _

Nami threw the newspaper away. It landed on the floor across the room. "Justice? Bullshit. Even your own Marines don't believe that anymore." She looked to the window, watching her daughter head down the trail and back to the docks after her short visit. "I hope you get Kale's message." She lowered her head, and tears dripped down, landing on her hands. "I'm sorry, Zoro."


	5. Reunion

**Jaysanch, this one's for you!**

* * *

Whitebeard sat at the front of the ship, his eyes wandering over the endless expanse of ocean in front of him. Behind him he could hear the movement of the crewmembers that had followed him into the afterlife.

"Hey, Pops!" Thatch shouted. "I see another ship! Should we go investigate?"

Whitebeard turned to face his son, and then looked to where he was pointing. "I don't recognize the flag," He said. "Let's go say hi."

A cheer rose from the people gathered, and the ship started turning. The people aboard the other ship greeted them without any suspicion. That happened when you were dead. There was no reason to fight anymore.

"My name's Yorki!" A blond man with a tattoo down his left eye said. "Who're you?"

"Edward Newgate," Whitebeard replied. "Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. How long have you been here?"

"Fiftyish years," The Captain said with a casual shrug. "We're still waiting for a crewmember, and then we can move on. What about you?"

"Three years," Whitebeard told him. "And we're waiting for people too. Why don't we rack up and have a party. I'm sure it's lonely by yourselves."

Yorki laughed. "That sounds good to me. What do you say, boys?"

They cheered. Ropes were tossed over, and people began to mingle on each other's ships. Yorki ended up at the stern of the Moby Dick, and joined a young, black haired man leaning against the railing.

"How's things?"

The man shrugged. "As well as they could be, in this situation. My name's Ace. You said yours was Yorki?"

"That's right."

"You said you've been here fifty years. Who're you waiting for?"

Yorki smiled, looking down at the frothy wake beneath them. "My first mate. He was the only survivor, I'm told."

"What happened?"

"I got sick," He explained. "So me and a few of us tried to go through the Calm Belt to find help. But, we didn't make it through. The other half of the crew got trapped in the Florian Triangle, and were ambushed. They joined us here less than a year later. What happened to you guys?"

"A war," Ace said. "Over my execution. A lot of us died, but most of the division commanders escaped. We're going to wait for them before moving on."

They fell into a mutual silence, until Yorki's lookout shouted down at them, "There's a new arrival!"

"What?!" Yorki shouted up at him, running onto the main deck of the Moby Dick to hear better.

The lookout pointed towards starboard. "Flash of light that way."

"Someone just died?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, what we've discovered is whenever someone arrives, there's a huge flash of light and they end up here. This is almost like limbo. We have the choice to move on if we want to, or sail this sea in between life and the afterlife."

"So who is it?"

"We won't know until we get closer," Yorki said. "We probably won't know who they are, considering we've been here for so long, but you might know them."

"Shall we find out?" Whitebeard asked.

"We've got nothing better to do," Yorki said. The two ships detached and began sailing in the direction of the light. They arrived several hours later, and came across a brightly coloured ship. Oranges and yellows, and there was real grass on the deck. An unusual figure head, a mix of a lion and a sunflower, faced them.

"I have never seen this ship before," Whitebeard said. The sails were tightly drawn, and the flag hung limp.

Ace frowned at it, a strange feeling in his gut. As the ships got closer to the newest one, he jumped aboard, landing on the figurehead and disappearing behind it.

The deck was empty, no signs of movement or people. Taking a few cautious steps forward he approached the main cabin. Pushing the door open, he expected to see the Captain's cabin, but found the galley instead.

It wasn't very large, and there were seats for nine people. "They must have been rookies," Thatch said from behind Ace, startling him. "Doesn't look like there were many crew members."

"Hey, Yorki," Ace called up to the man. "Where do the people usually arrive?"

The man shrugged, "Anywhere, really. He, or she, is probably around somewhere. They'll probably be unconscious. The shock of dying and all."

Ace nodded, and Thatch pushed past him and into the depths of the ship. A few minutes later, they heard the red headed man shout, "ACE! GET OVER HERE!"

Thatch's voice sounded desperate, and he stopped his examination of what looked like the infirmary to sprint towards Thatch's voice. He skidded to a halt in front of a room that held hammocks, and saw the back of Thatch's head. He was kneeling beside a figure.

Ace walked forward, and froze mid step as the newcomer's face came into view. "No…"

Thatch looked up with sympathy and moved away as Ace fell to his knees beside his brother. "No. NO! Luffy…"

Thatch backed away, standing at the door with Yorki and several other members of the Whitebeard Pirates. "He knows him?" Yorki whispered.

"That's his brother," Thatch whispered back. "Ace died to save him."

"That's horrible."

"Let's give them some space," Thatch said, ushering the crowd away. They filed back to their respective ships, Thatch delivering the news to Whitebeard.

"The brat with the straw hat?" Whitebeard asked, and Thatch nodded.

Whitebeard frowned. "That brat had potential."

* * *

Ace cradled Luffy's head, removing his straw hat and placing it beside him. He was crying. "You stupid moron. Why did you go and die on me? You were supposed to become the King of the Pirates." He tightened his grip. "Idiot, you idiot."

Luffy shifted slightly, letting out a groan, and Ace hastily wiped a hand across his eyes. When the younger pirate opened his eyes, Ace pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "YOU IDIOT!" He shouted.

"…Ace? Is that… really you?"

"Why did you die?" Ace demanded. "You were supposed to live out your dream!"

"What…" He gently untangled Ace's arms from around him and sat up. "Where… Am I dead?"

Ace nodded, and Luffy looked away. "Why?" Ace asked. "Why? How?"

"It…" He looked around. "Am I the only one here?"

"You're the only one from your crew," He said.

Luffy let out a sigh of relief and laughed, surprising Ace. "That's good. Then they're safe."

"Answer my question!" Ace shouted, grabbing his shoulders. "How?"

"Blackbeard." Luffy said, and Ace's eyes narrowed dangerously. "But I bet that bastard's dead too." He smiled brightly, although Ace could see tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "I get to see you again, though. And… And I can wait for them. They'll live out their dreams. I saved them." He stood up, grabbing his hat.

Ace followed suit, following the determined Strawhat Pirate out of the room and into the hall. He seemed to know where he was going, turning left and entering the galley. "So where are we?"

"I think we're in limbo," Ace told him, as Luffy peered into the infirmary. "Between worlds."

"That's cool. Is there food?"

"Uh, yes."

"So I can eat as much as I want?"

Ace had to laugh, because even though his brother was dead, he didn't lose his happy attitude. "What are you going to do now?"

"Wait for them," Luffy said, as he darted to the fridge, pouting as he grabbed the lock. "They'll be here one day, right? And then we can be together again." He abandoned the fridge and left the kitchen, walking out onto the grassy deck. "It looks nice here."

"There's not much out there but water," Ace told him.

"Is that Old Beard Guy?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. And that's Yorki, from the other ship."

"Cool," Luffy said, bouncing on his heels.

Ace shook his head, grabbing his brother's shoulder to keep him from running off.

* * *

Luffy made himself at home on Whitebeard's ship, the Thousand Sunny tied to the Moby Dick. When he found out that the other pirate crew had musicians aboard, he demanded they play Bink's Sake.

"I love that song," Yorki laughed. "We'll deliver Bink's Sake, ocean's breeze shall guide the way~" Brook would sing it all the time."

"Brook? I know a Brook." Luffy said cheerfully. "He would play it all the time." He paused, his expression turning serious for a minute. "I wonder if he met back up with Laboon."

Most of the pirates looked over at the mention of their friends. "You know Brook? Humming Brook? And Laboon?"

"Yeah," Luffy laughed. "Brook's a skeleton, and can run on water. He's so cool! And Laboon's a really big whale that lives at the base of Reverse Mountain. We promised that we'd be back one day." His expression grew serious again. "I hope he makes it."

"Brook used to be a part of this crew," Yorki said.

"So you're the Rumbar Pirates?" Luffy asked.

"That's right."

"Awesome! So when Brook comes, we can all see him again! He has really funny jokes."

"How's he doing?" Yorki asked, as the many members of the Rumbar Pirates gathered around to hear him speak. Luffy grinned at them and began talking about how he and his crew met Laboon, their fight, and its resolution. Then he went on to tell them about his first meeting with Brook, Thriller Bark, and then him joining the crew.

"He was the last member to join before… This." He said with a grin.

* * *

"I've never seen someone who just died look so happy." Thatch said to Ace, who was listening in from a distance.

"He's Luffy," Ace said simply. "We talked a bit before we came over here. He doesn't regret dying." He smiled, "And as long as he's happy, I suppose I'm fine with it. I'm pissed that he's dead, and didn't live out his dream, but he told me he saved the rest of his crew. I didn't meet all of them, but the ones I did meet were good people."

"So…"

"He's my little brother, but he's his own person. He made his own choices, just like I made mine."

"Usopp?" Luffy asked, kneeling down beside his unmoving crewmate. The first one he had seen since he arrived on this sea. He reached out and poked his friend, who didn't move. Luffy huffed and sat back on his heels and smiled softly. So Usopp had been the first one of his friends to bite the dust and join him.

He stood up and looked out over the water, content to wait for him to wake up. He had no idea how much time had passed in the world of the living. Time didn't matter to those who were dead. Usopp looked the same to Luffy. The name curly hair, the same long nose.

"Did you make it?" Luffy asked him, grinning. "Because I think you did. You became the bravest man on the sea, going on adventures and doing cool stuff like that. I bet you had a really strong crew. Did you?"

Usopp didn't answer, still unconscious. Luffy sat on the railing, crossing his legs beneath him. "What else have you done? I really want to know! I want to hear your adventure stories, and…" Luffy trailed off with a happy laugh. "You won't have to make anything up anymore, because I know you had a good life."

* * *

When Usopp woke up, he was surprised to see the sky above him. He blinked a few times to clear his thoughts and sat up, half hoping the execution he remembered was a dream and he was on his ship. Nope. This wasn't his ship. His ship was gold, silver, and shiny. This one was orange and yellow, just like the… Just like… It looked identical to the Thousand Sunny.

He shot to his feet and spun in a circle several times before slowing, stopping when he heard laughter. He turned towards the sound and came face to face with his dead Captain.

"Lu–"

"Hi, Usopp," Luffy laughed, jumping off the railing and throwing his arms around the sharpshooter. Usopp stood stiffly, trying to understand what was going on.

"What…"

"You're dead," Luffy said cheerfully. "You gotta tell me about your adventures! What did you do? Where did you go?" Usopp could only stutter as Luffy bombarded him with questions, and the fact that he was dead was really starting to sink in. Luffy watched his friend start to go limp, and reached out a hand to help steady him. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Usopp shook his head slowly. "Not yet. How… Will…"

"Are you talking about your new crew?" Luffy asked. "I don't know, but they'll probably come here when they die. We can find your ship when that happens, and I can meet them too!"

"You don't mind?" Usopp asked. "We… You died!"

"So did you." Luffy pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," Usopp said. "You died first. You… You never made it to Raftel!"

"But you guys did," Luffy smiled.

"Ho-How do you know that?"

Luffy reached under his vest and pulled out the amulet they had placed on his grave. "I got this. It appeared one day. It's the One Piece, right? You guys went on ahead. That's what I wanted you to do. Did you live your dream?"

Usopp blinked at him, and then laughed. "Yeah. I did. Thanks."

* * *

"Franky!" A high pitched voice cut through the haze Franky was in.

"Franky!" Another voice chimed in. "C'mon! Wake up!"

"Five more minutes, girls. You're old enough to get your own breakfast."

"Girls?" The second voice asked, and Franky blinked groggily.

Dark eyes, tanned skin… The person in front of him looked nothing like either of his daughters. Long nose. Wait. Long nose? "LONG NOSE?!"

"Yeah. Morning, sunshine."

Franky sat up and grabbed his chest, trying to feel the wounds he had gotten from the cannon ball. Nothing. He tried running a scan, but found he couldn't. "What happened? Where are Mary and Olivia. Hold on… Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Yup," Usopp said, nodding. "Luffy too. Guess what? You're number three."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hi Franky!" Luffy popped up from behind Usopp, startling Franky.

"Strawhat-Bro! But you're… Well shit. I'm dead, aren't I? That's not very supar."

"I dunno," Luffy said, shrugging. "It's been pretty good so far. So… Who are Mary and Olivia?"

Franky turned red and looked away, muttering something under his breath.

"What was that?" Usopp asked, leaning forward, a hand to his ear. "I didn't catch that."

"My daughters," Franky said, a bit louder.

"You have kids?" Luffy asked loudly. "Really?"

He started demanding Franky tell him about his life. Franky didn't seem to be surprised to be on the Sunny, Luffy noticed. Franky sat down in the kitchen and looked around expectantly before pausing with a sad frown and turned back to his two former crewmates. "Were you happy?" Luffy asked, a serious curiosity in his expression.

Franky laughed, "Yeah. I can honestly say yes."

* * *

Robin was a little surprised to wake up on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, but she smiled when she realized what had happened. She was dead, but she didn't mind. How many times had she wished for death before she met the Strawhat Pirates? She hadn't felt that urge to die since they had saved her at Enies Lobby. But here she was.

She stood up smoothly, looking over herself. She wasn't as old as she had been. She seemed to be about… Thirty?

"You can choose what age to look when you come here," Usopp said, his voice emanating from behind her. "Although it's usually an unconscious decision. How are you?"

"Considering the circumstances, I'm doing well. How about you? I was at your execution."

"I got your note," Usopp said, and then nodded at the door to the galley. "Want to come see the rest of us? You're four."

"Of course," She said, following her crewmate into the kitchen.

"Robin!" Luffy's enthusiastic cry was a relief to hear, after all those years alone.

"Captain!" She returned, just as enthusiastically, before she was trapped in the rubber man's embrace. "You're looking well. Franky! You're here too. How are you?"

"SUPAR!" He shouted. "Welcome to the afterlife. Did you find the Poneoglyph you were looking for?"

"I did," She said, with a proud nod. "It was in the Calm Belt. What about you two? Did you live a good life?"

Both Usopp and Franky nodded. "Well..?" Franky asked, and Luffy prompted her to give her story.

"Wait… Olivia was your kid?!" Franky exclaimed.

"You heard of her?" Robin asked. "She became the next Pirate Empress."

"I didn't know about that, but… I met her when she was five, in the remains of Whiskey Peak. She lived with me and Mary."

"What happened to Dadan?" Robin asked. "I left Olivia with her."

Luffy frowned, "I ran into Dadan a while back. She died."

"Oh," Robin said sadly, but cheered up slightly, "Was she happy with you?"

Franky gave her a thumbs up, "She was SUPAR! I'm glad she and Mary could move on."

"Do…" Robin hesitated, thinking back to her life. "Do you think we could look for someone? His name's Raff. He's Olivia's father."

Luffy jumped up, "Yeah! Let's go!"

* * *

Chopper shouted in surprise when he opened his eyes and saw Franky looking down at him. "Franky! Where did you come from?!"

"Over there." He said, pointing in a direction Chopper couldn't see from his position on the deck.

"When did you get here, though?"

"No idea," Franky said, with a laugh. He held out a large hand, the smaller one emerging, to help Chopper up.

Chopper took in his surroundings. "Where's the Moby Dick II?"

"Probably still in the living world." Franky said. "Oi! Strawhat-Bro! Reindeer-Bro woke up!"

"CHOPPER!" Luffy shouted

"Don't scare him," Usopp muttered.

Robin laughed.

"Guys..?" Chopper whispered, scrambling for something comprehensible to say as tears started pouring down his face. "You… You're alive?"

"I'm afraid not," Robin said, lowering her book and smiling warmly. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"

"What's going on? Am I dreaming?"

Everyone exchanged glances, "It's been a SUPAR long dream if that's what's going on," Franky said. "You're dead. What do you remember?"

"I… I got sick; I was in the infirmary last night. I DIED?!"

"That's right," Robin said softly, "But you're here with us now. We're waiting for the rest of our crew to join us, and then we'll move on."

"Move on to what?"

"We don't know," Luffy grinned. "But I can't wait. It's another adventure, and we'll all be together again."

"Luffy," Chopper sniffed, and ran over, latching on to Luffy's legs. "I missed you."

Luffy laughed, leaning down and grabbing Chopper, lifting him up. "That's alright. I missed you too. Now, tell me what you did!"

* * *

Sanji felt good when he woke up. He wasn't stiff, he wasn't feeling old. He laid still for a few more minutes, basking in the warm sunshine and mentally prepared himself for the day.

He paused for a second. Something was off. What was it? He tried to open his eyes, but the sunlight forced him to squint. That was it. Why was there sunlight in his room? The sun rose in the east, which was blocked by Reverse Mountain.

He shot up quickly, and a nearby voice squeaked in surprise. Sanji turned to the voice, and saw Chopper cowering behind a pair of legs. Raising his eyes, he looked into the face of a ghost. Sanji opened his mouth, intending to say something, but nothing came out. He tried again, but came up short again.

By now, everyone on the deck of the sip was laughing at him. Embarrassed, he stood up and brushed off his pant leg. He was only slightly startled to see the black dress pants he used to wear covering his legs. He had realized what happened and where he was.

"Sanji, I want meat."

Sanji burst out laughing, doubling over and grabbing Usopp's shoulder to keep himself steady. "That's really the first thing you say to me? Seriously? You're a moron."

"So… Is that a yes or a no?"

Sanji shook his head in amusement, greeted Robin warmly, nodded to Franky, Chopper, and Usopp, and walked into the galley. Luffy followed him eagerly. The kitchen looked the same as he left it, and Sanji picked up a knife sitting on the counter. It fit into his hand perfectly. Despite being dead, he was glad to be back in his kitchen.

* * *

Nami clearly remembered talking to her daughter the night before and then falling asleep in her chair. She was lying down, and that felt suspicious. Did Kale come back after she fell asleep? Her daughter was always worried about her.

She heard voices, and frowned. "Kale, I thought I told you not to bring your Marine friends to my house."

"Who's Kale?"

Nami opened her eyes at the familiar, but unexpected voice. "SANJI?!"

"How are you, my dear Nami?" He said, bowing. Nami pushed herself up and looked around.

"Where am I? Am I…"

"Dead?"

"I was going to say dreaming, but that works too," She said, accepting his hand and was gently lifted to her feet. As he let go, she examined her hand. Smooth skin. But she was old. She had wrinkles. She reached back, grabbing a handful of long hair. But that wasn't right. She cut her hair years ago, and kept it short. Pulling a strand in front of her face, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw it was orange and not white.

Sanji caught her examining, "Don't worry, we're almost all together. I was surprised when I arrived too, my sweet."

"Wait, you're dead?"

"You are, too," Sanji said. "Like all of us."

"…All of us?" Nami asked hesitantly, turning her attention to the door to the galley. It opened, and the first person to exit was Usopp. He looked the same as he always did. Then Robin did, quickening her pace and pulling Nami into her embrace. Franky and Chopper came next. And then… "Luffy?"

"Hi Nami!" He greeted, bouncing on his heels slightly. Nami let go of Robin and took a step forward, hoping she wouldn't wake up. Begging that this wasn't a dream. She started running, crashing into him and pressing her lips to his. When she pulled away, she promptly brought a fist down on his head and shouted, "YOU MORON! Why did you die like that?!"

Luffy was blinking in surprise, bringing a hand to his mouth. Sanji crumpled to the deck in a heap of despair. "Because I wanted you to be safe."

Nami could just stare at him. Her chest burned, all the concealed emotion she had kept hidden for so long wanting to burst forward. She grabbed him again, pressing her face to his chest and taking in his warmth. "You idiot. I missed you."

Luffy laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "I missed you too." He placed a finger on her chin and raised her head until they were face to face. She smiled, and kissed him again.

* * *

Zoro rolled over, feeling grass against his fingers. Had he fallen asleep outside again? Tashigi was always telling him to come home before he fell asleep. Oh well. It seemed bright out, even with his eyes closed. He could still get home without her getting annoyed at him.

He resigned himself to getting up, and when he opened his eyes he nearly had a heart attack. "Hello, Mr. Swordsman. How are you feeling?"

"Ro-Robin?" Zoro asked, recognizing his old friend. She didn't look like she had aged a day since they parted. "How'd you get up here?"

"I didn't," She said. "You came here."

"What? I didn't. I'm…"

"Yes, Chopper did say he heard you stayed in Skypia. How was that?"

"I… What's going on? Where am I?"

"Don't you recognize this place?" Robin asked, smiling brightly. "You are the second to last person to join us, but I don't think you could forget this ship."

Zoro finally looked around, "The Thousand Sunny? What am I doing here?"

"The same reason all of us are here," Robin said, leaning back as Zoro got to his feet. She looked away, towards the door to the galley. "All we have to do now is wait for Brook. And then we can move on."

"What?"

"We're dead," Robin said, her calm demeanor making it sound like everything was alright.

"WHAT?!"

"Ha! The shitty moss head finally realized?"

Zoro's head whipped towards the cook, complete surprise on his face. It quickly changed to a mad grin, as he grabbed his swords, his hand hovering when he felt three of them instead of the two Cara had returned to him after Kuina's death. His hesitation gave Sanji a head start, and Zoro was barely able to block his kick.

"You've gotten rusty," Sanji said.

"Don't start, curly," Zoro said, pointing one of his blades at the blond cook. Sanji grinned mockingly.

As they argued, more people had appeared and watched from the side as they reestablished their rivalry. Nami laughed as they stopped a while later, both of them panting. Zoro turned towards her, Nami grinning at him. Her hand was holding another hand, this one belonging to…

"Captain." Zoro said.

"Hi, Zoro." Luffy said simply. They locked eyes, an understanding passing between them. And then Zoro sheathed his swords and shook his head.

"What shit have you guys gotten into without me?"

Sanji snorted, "What shit did you get into on your own?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," He said, as Chopper ran forward and grabbed his hand, dragging him into the kitchen.

Luffy watched him leave the deck, and smiled at Nami. "We're almost all together again." He said.

Nami tightened her grip reassuringly as Luffy placed his free hand on the railing and looked out over the crystal blue water. "One more. And then we can continue on."

"On our final adventure," Nami finished.


	6. Dawn Becomes Sunset

**Shout out to jam klaoo for the request.**

* * *

It was Makino who first saw the ship on the horizon. The townspeople were very wary at first, but as soon as the flag became visible, she cheered and rushed down from the lookout tower to inform the people gathered at the single dock the town had, their hands filled with possible weapons.

"It's," She started, pausing to catch her breath. "They're not our enemy. It's Luffy!"

"Really?" Wood-Slap asked. "You saw him?"

Makino shook her head, smiling brightly. "I didn't see him, but I saw the flag."

"It could be imposters," Wood-Slap scolded, waving his cane in her direction. "You've read the newspapers, right? That fat guy at the Red Line."

"But they were taken care of," Makino laughed. "I believe it's them. Who else could have a ship that looks like that?"

Wood-Slap turned back to the water and squinted, shading his eyes. "You have a point there." He looked around, the villagers looking at him expectantly. He sighed, "Get ready to welcome them."

A loud cheer went up, the makeshift weapons were abandoned and people began to disperse, getting ready for the party that was sure to happen.

The ship drew closer and closer, and the excitement in the village grew.

"Luffy's coming home!"

"He'll keep us safe from the pirates!"

"I wonder what kind of adventures he's gone on!"

Finally the ship arrived at the dock, the fisher's ships moved especially for them. It was a quiet arrival, many people who returned home to wait not hearing their approach. Makino and Wood-Slap stood side by side, growing concerned by the lack of response. The ship was silent.

"Hello?" Makino called up. "Is… Is anyone… Up there?"

Silence. They were expecting whoops of joy from Luffy, greetings from his crewmembers. Anything. Finally, they heard footsteps. Loud and heavy footsteps. Whoever was coming wasn't Luffy. A green haired man appeared on deck, and jumped down. He landed hard in front of them, and when he finally looked at them his face was devoid of emotion.

"You're Zoro, right?" Makino ventured. She had never met any of Luffy's friends before, and had no idea what they were like. "Roronoa Zoro?"

The man nodded, "Yes."

Wood-Slap narrowed his eyes the swordsman. "You don't look like someone Luffy would ask to be his friend." He said bluntly.

"Mayor," Makino chided. "That's not very nice. Sorry about that."

But Zoro just let out a chipped laugh, "It's alright. You're probably right. And… It should be us who apologizes."

"What…" She trailed off as more people appeared at the edge of the ship. Slowly counting, she saw seven people. Eight if she included the man in front of her. But… Where was Luffy? She spotted one of the girls in the middle of the lineup, the younger looking one, clutching something tightly in her hand. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was Luffy's hat. "What happened to him?" She asked.

Zoro looked away, guilt crossing his previously blank face. Several of the pirates left their view, and the orange haired girl in the middle began to cry. Wood-Slap's eyes widened in horror. Makino adapted the same expression, bringing a hand to her mouth. It did nothing to muffle her sob though, as she began to fall to her knees.

The swordsman reached out and caught her shoulders. Wood-Slap glared at Zoro, "What do you mean? What's going on? What happened to Luffy?"

"I'm sorry," Zoro said. "We couldn't save him."

Wood-Slap closed his eyes. "I warned him… Being a pirate was a stupid idea. It got Ace killed. He should have known better!" He slammed a fist against the side of the Thousand Sunny, and then pressed his forehead against it. "Why...? Why? Damnit, I promised his father I'd keep him safe!"

Zoro stayed silent, still supporting Makino.

The Mayor turned to Zoro with regret filled eyes. "How?"

* * *

Makino couldn't stay for even half of the explanation. Most of the pirates had come down from the ship, leaving their pet and the pale one with the afro. Wood-Slap sat stiffly in one of the chairs, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. The orange haired girl, introduced to them as Nami, refused to let go of Luffy's hat. The older woman, Robin, comforted her.

When they finished talking, Wood-Slap could only shake his head. "That sounds like him." He opened his eyes and looked at the people gathered around the table. "I don't blame you. What are you going to do now?"

"We were going to build a grave," Robin said. "Where he used to live."

"That would be up in the mountains," Wood-Slap sighed, his hands curling into fists. "Damnit… Dadan's not going to be happy. Hell, I'm not happy. But… I understand what he did." He looked Zoro in the eye. "It means you proved yourself to him, and if he trusted you, I will too." He looked out the window, "Makino's going to be hard to comfort. She's already lost Luffy's brother, Ace… And Sabo… Never mind. Let's not linger on the past."

* * *

The villagers didn't take the news too well. There were accusations. There was yelling. There were tears.

In the end, it was Usopp who calmed everyone down. The older folk who had met Yassop believed him.

Dadan didn't do well either, throwing anything she could get her hands on at the crew. All of them this time. Including several of her own men. And then she collapsed in a heap, sobbing. "That makes all of them," She whimpered, her words barely distinguishable. "Every single damn one of them. I raised those brats! I raised Ace from infancy! I took in Luffy when he was seven! It's not fair! That damned Garp took all the credit, but he was barely ever here! Why?"

Robin and Nami helped her while the boys searched the area for suitable materials to create a grave. Dogra helped them, the man still in shock from the news. They found a large hunk of granite, and brought it back. Usopp spent the next few days carving and shining it. His last task was carving Luffy's name in it. Zoro and Sanji carried it to a secluded clearing close to Dadan's house.

They gathered around it, completely silent. Nami placed Luffy's hat on top, and Usopp placed the One Piece on its brim. There was no wind, no insects humming, there wasn't even the sound of birds. It was almost like the world was letting them grieve.

Zoro grew angrier and angrier, his hand tight on the Wado Ichimonji. Usually this would calm him down, but it did nothing today. Finally, he snapped. He drew his sword, stepped forward, and slashed the front of the grave.

"What are you doing?!" Usopp demanded.

He repeated his action, coming from the other side this time. And when he sheathed his blade and stepped back, an X had been carved into the stone below his name. "Remember Alabasta?" he asked. "We used an X to symbolize our lasting friendship." He closed his eyes. "Just because he's d… gone, doesn't mean we're not friends anymore."

He unsheathed his sword again and held out his left arm, placing the blade against his skin.

"What are you doing?!" Chopper shouted, grabbing his leg.

"Our friendship is forever. I'm going to make sure I never forget." With that, he dragged it across his skin. Blood started dripping down his arm, to the horror of Chopper. He placed the blade perpendicular to the first cot and made another incision. He was about to sheath his blade when Nami held out her hand.

Zoro passed it over willingly. Nami held out her forearm too, copying Zoro. Usopp held out his hand after Nami finished. His hand trembled slightly, and he winced when he cut into his arm. Sanji took it next, and then Chopper, although he warned them all that he was going to patch them up afterwards. Robin gladly marked her skin, Franky placed his in the middle of his star, and Brook cut into bone.

"I don't know about you guys," Nami said, after a moment, "But I'm still going to live my dream. That's what Luffy would have wanted, right?"

"You're right," Brook said. "Remember what he said?"

Chopper shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. "Yes. You're right, Nami."

"Let's make him happy," Zoro said. It wasn't an order, even though he had the highest rank among them as the first mate. It was a declaration.

"Aye."

Brook stepped forward, "I've already lived out my dream to see Laboon again." He reached into his overcoat pocket and withdrew his tone dial. He placed it on the other side of the hat's brim. He bowed, bent over in half. "I can never thank you enough, Captain, for helping me find my dream."

"We'll come back," Zoro said. "Once we've achieved our dream, we'll all come back and tell him. I'm sure he wants to hear of our adventures."

Everyone promised, and when they finally left the clearing, no one had a dry eye. But they were all determined to make sure their Captain's sacrifice wasn't in vain. So that he would be proud of them when they finally reunited.

* * *

They parted ways the next day, the villagers giving them boats. They left, all of them heading in different directions. All of them willing to do whatever it took to keep their Captain alive.

They never saw each other again.


	7. San Faldo

Usopp sat on the railing of his ship, his legs dangling over the water. The weather was relatively calm for the moment, but Usopp wasn't surprised. They were approaching an island, according to his navigator, Zak.

"Hey, Captain!" Said person shouted. Usopp turned his head as Zak approached. "The island is less than three hours away. What should we do when we get there?"

"Well, you need to find out how long it takes for a log pose to reset, and we need to pick up more supplies. And… Nothing else, really. If there's enough time we can rent out rooms and have some free time."

"Is that… Wise, Captain. I mean, we're pirates. What would the people think?"

"As long as we don't cause a fuss, and there isn't a big Marine Base on the island, we'll be fine." Usopp assured him. "Don't worry. We're still pretty new, so I don't think too many people will recognize us."

"But you've still got a wanted poster," Zak said. "Aren't you at all worried?"

Usopp shook his head, "Not really. I've been in this kind of situation before. Sure, we've got to be a little careful, but for the most part we can relax. What's the island called?"

"Um, San Faldo, I think."

"I've heard that name before," Usopp said, frowning slightly and thinking back. "Never been there, but the name sounds really familiar… What do you know about it?"

"Well, it wasn't really well known until about twenty years ago, when something called a… Sea Train connected it to Water 7."

"Oh!" Usopp exclaimed, swinging his legs over and jumping back down to deck. "That's right. It's one of the islands that the Puffing Tom connects. That means we don't have to rush when we get there."

"The… The Puffing what?"

"The Puffing Tom. The name of the Sea Train." Usopp explained. He grinned, "That means we don't have to worry about any Marines. Last I heard, there wasn't much jurisdiction and it was a constant target for pirates."

Zak nodded, although he still seemed unsure. He walked away as Usopp returned to his cabin.

* * *

The island seemed harmless, and they managed to get their hands on all the supplies they needed. Most of Usopp's crewmembers had never seen the train before, and were fascinated by it.

"I'd say let's take a trip," Jenny said, "But we've got our own ship."

"It looks… unsteady," Zak said hesitantly. "I'd rather use the ship."

"Hey! You interested in the train?" A nearby conductor with a long and square nost approached them. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

"Oh, no. It's alright," Jenny said. "What can you tell us about it?"

The conductor smiled happily. "Well, it's called the Puffing Tom, named after the man who built it. It's a little known fact, but Tom was a fishman, and he also built the Oro Jackson."

"What's the Oro Jackson?" Zak asked.

"You don't know what the Oro Jackson is?" The conductor seemed shocked. "Well, the Pirate King's ship."

"Strawhat?"

"No, Gold Roger. The first Pirate King. The second Pirate King's ship was actually built by Tom's apprentice. And that's a long story in itself. You have heard of the Strawhats, so I'm sure you've heard of what they did at Enies Lobby. Right?"

"I have," Jenny said, nodding. "That was where Sogeking first appeared, right?"

The man nodded, "The legendary sniper. No one knows who he is. It's said that even Strawhat Luffy himself doesn't know. He's not part of the crew. That's been confirmed."

"I haven't heard the full story," Jenny said. "Do you know it?"

The conductor nodded, "Not many people know what provoked the Strawhats to attack Enies Lobby, but it started when Strawhat was accused of attacking the Mayor of Water 7. It turns out he was innocent. It was never conformed who shot him, but after that they hijacked the sea train, took an old woman and her granddaughter as hostages, and stormed the Gates of Justice."

"I thought they had a better reputation than that," Zak said.

The conductor shrugged, "I don't know what they're like. There are rumors flying around everywhere. But that's where Sogeking was first seen. He was probably a pirate, because he teamed up with a pirate crew."

"What do you think happened?" Jenny asked. "I've always wanted to know. I've heard a lot of crap."

The conductor scratched the back of his head and adjusted his hat. "Well, I have a bit of an advantage with this. I saw the fight."

"Really?" Jenny leaned forward, looking extremely curious. "Tell me!"

"Alright." He said, holding his hands up. "It was the government who provoked the Strawhats. They took one of his crew members. And if you know anything about Luffy, you'll realize he's a lot like Whitebeard. He hates it when people he cares about are in danger."

"Who could blame him?" Zak asked.

The conductor shook his head, "Thinking back now, I don't blame him. He had a good reason. And in the end, he managed to save his crew mate."

"So what about Sogeking? If you were there, do you know who he is?"

"I did," The conductor said, nodding. "But… I grew to respect him and his friends, so I'm not going to tell you. If you guys head to Water 7, I wouldn't recommend bringing it up. The Mayor owes his life to the doctor of the Strawhats. He knows as well, and the people in the city who know are inclined to keep the secret too."

Jenny looked disappointed. "Damn. Couldn't you please tell me?"

The conductor shook his head, "Nope. I owe it to him."

"Kaku?" All three people turned to the voice.

"Usopp?" The conductor returned, looking incredibly surprised.

Jenny and Zak watched as their Captain smiled and stepped forward, holding out a hand. "It's been a while. This is where you ended up? I had wondered."

The conductor, apparently named Kaku, could only shrug. "Who else would hire someone like me? Kokoro pulled a few strings for me and a few others… Involved."

Usopp nodded in understanding, "So how have you been? We kinda left you in a bad situation."

"Well, most of us were accepted into the Franky Family. Kalifa and Iceburg actually got married, and I'm here."

"What about Spandam?"

"Arrested, put on trial, and I don't know what happened to him after that. We were… Discharged after the Buster Call destroyed Enies Lobby–"

"I thought the Strawhats are the ones who leveled Enies Lobby!" Jenny said.

Usopp shook his head, "That's what the rumors said. It's not true."

Jenny blinked in surprise.

Kaku laughed, "Anyway, what are you doing on your own? I thought you were with–"

"Circumstances," Usopp interrupted, shaking his head subtly. "I'm actually heading to Water 7 to get my ship reinforced."

Kaku smiled knowingly. "That sounds like a good idea. You don't want a repeat…"

"Yeah."

"But you also know that the log pose doesn't point to Water 7 after it sets to this island, right?"

"That's alright. I've got an eternal pose. We were actually planning to head out tomorrow."

"That's good. This place isn't under as heavy guard as it was when Enies Lobby was still intact. Repairs aren't even half finished."

Usopp laughed, sounding proud. "Well, good luck with the rest of your life."

"You too."

Usopp left, waving at his crew mates before leaving the station. "I wonder what the Captain meant."

"That was your Captain?" Kaku asked. "How'd that happen?"

"He picked us up," Jenny said.

Kaku frowned. "Do you know what happened to his previous Captain? Last I heard…"

Jenny and Zak exchanged glances, "Well, Henry said that his previous Captain was dead. He doesn't know that we know, so please don't tell him."

"Don't worry, I won't tell him. I was just wondering. I knew his Captain." He shook his head, "You're with a good man, alright?" He smiled at them. "Good luck on your journey, alright?"

"Thanks," Zak said.

They left. Their curiosity had peaked, but they trusted their Captain. He waved when he saw them later, motioning for them to join him at a table at a restaurant. Several more of their crew were seated at another table, looking slightly drunk.

"We're heading out tomorrow morning. It doesn't take too long to get to Water 7 from here. I have the eternal pose, Zak. I'll give it to you in the morning." Usopp told Zak.

"Okay," Zak said, nodding. Jenny sat back and opened an old newspaper she had picked out and started reading about the actions of the Strawhats almost eight years ago. Zak saw his Captain's expression darken the slightest bit before he brightened when he looked them over and then started talking to Henry.


	8. Home

_To those who made me smile._

Chapter 1

The Captain was a simple man. But at the same time, he wasn't. I figured that was one of the biggest mysteries I would come across in my life. Even bigger than the mystery I was searching for. He could smile at danger, but as soon as one of his friends was in the way of it, he would become a demon. I learned this. I saw it first hand, even before I had decided to join him.

He gave me my life back, even though I didn't want. I believe he could see into a person. I believe he could know what a person was capable of before hearing their side of the story. I always wondered how he did it. The people he called friend had almost nothing in common, and yet we all fit together seamlessly. We held each other up. We watched each other's backs. We could work together and yet never say a word.

I sit here, next to a dimly lit lantern, and I can only think of what we could have achieved. What we did achieve. What we could have become. The legends that will follow us. Maybe we'll be forgotten. But I don't want to forget. I will never forget.

Chapter 3

…I could see the potential in him, even as I lay on the cold, stone floor with a hole in my chest. I was ready to die. The man I had come to respect was dying. I was going to save him. The King accepted the antidote to the poison.

It worked, and he stood up, taking both me and the King to the surface. I protested. He didn't listen. And I survived. Of course, this meant he owed me. He took something from me, and was going to pay it in full. I asked to join him. The rest of his crew was shocked, but I found a place to belong. After being alone for so long, it was so different to have people to call friends. But I liked it…

Chapter 6

…He stopped the war. The bell echoed through the land. And I laughed. We had accomplished something. We had never expected to get involved. We had just though it was going to be another adventure. But we could be proud of ourselves for bringing an end to fighting.

The party afterwards lasted three days. We were awarded gold, but ended up running. Nothing really new…

Chapter 7

…I couldn't let anything happen to them. All of them had done so much for me. I was going to do something for them. Even if it meant I had to leave them. They would be safe. That's what I wanted. Since they had given me a chance to reach for my dream, I wanted to make sure they wouldn't be stopped by _them._ So I left without an explanation.

The Cook and the Doctor tried to get me to come back. I really wanted to. I wanted to grab hold of them and say yes. Yes. Yes. But I said no. I said I would never come back. And it hurt to say that after all they did for me.

I tried to tell them I wouldn't go back, but Captain wouldn't let me say anything. It was almost like he knew I was lying. They came to get me, fighting though our enemies and not stopping. Captain demanded I tell him. He demanded that I come back, and if I still wanted to die I could do it as a part of them. But I didn't want to die. So I told him. I yelled it to them. I wanted to live, and to stay with them, and to go out to sea.

I could see his smile. He knew what I wanted.

And I was free.

Chapter 13

…I could see him reaching for me, and even though I knew it was too late, I reached back. The last thing I saw before being blasted away was the desperation on his face. We had failed. We had lost. But we weren't dead. I hoped he realized that. The Swordsman was the first to go. But he wasn't dead. Because I woke up. Now all we had to do was find each other again.

Unfortunately, that was going to be harder than I first anticipated…

Chapter 15

I heard the news while travelling away from the bridge. The picture stood out, and I could only stare in shock. I never thought Captain could look like that. But it was staring me in the face. The man across from me asked what was wrong. I didn't tell him, but I did say that I would reconsider his offer and work with them for a while. Because my friends and I wouldn't be seeing each other for a long while…

Chapter 24

Invincible. That's what I always thought when I looked at my Captain. Power radiated off of him. But we were abruptly reminded that he was still just a human. It had begun as an ordinary day. The sun was shining, and our Navigator had said there wasn't going to be any rain in the next few days. But the encouraging day made us sloppy. We didn't take as much caution when we reached a seemingly uninhabited island. Captain left the ship, always running ahead.

We took our time. Someone should have gone with him. Because the next thing I remember is darkness. A thick, suffocating darkness. I could hear my friends screaming around me, but I couldn't move. I was trapped. Powerless. I couldn't think clearly. I couldn't fight back.

I don't know how long we were in that darkness, when it started to lift. Slowly, the forms of my friends could be seen. The Shipwright was closest to me, and I called out to him. It seemed he was in the same situation I was, the darkness holding us down.

Abruptly, it cleared completely above us, although tendrils still lingered on the deck of our ship. Still holding us captive. I could hear the Swordsman yelling out our Captain's name. And then the Sharpshooter joined in the yelling. I looked up, where our Captain was locked in a fight with an enemy. I joined the rest of our crew, shouting.

We're fine, we shouted. But it didn't seem our Captain could hear us. We watched the fight, unable to help. The man he was fighting against had the upper hand, but we started cheering when he turned the enemy around and backed him to the edge of the cliff.

But then we could only watch in horror as the enemy was pushed off, and took our Captain down with him. The descent seemed to take years. We could only struggle to free ourselves. Nothing was working. Weapons wouldn't harm the darkness.

They hit the water with a sickening splash, but just before that, our Captain managed to call out to us. To throw us his treasure. He was smiling when he went under. The same smile that he would always use to assure us everything was going to be alright.

The darkness didn't vanish for minutes, and when it did, it vanished completely. The Swordsman was on his feet, tearing off his swords, shirt, shoes, and was in the water in seconds. He didn't surface for a long time. And when he did, he came up empty handed. He wasn't on the surface very long, taking a breath and diving again. He did it over and over again. The Navigator was on her knees, holding Captain's treasure to her chest and crying silently. We were standing on the deck, not sure what to do. Not sure what we could do. None of us had ever considered this possibility.

Finally, the Doctor shouted at him to stop. It was too late. No one could have survived underwater that long. Swordsman refused to listen, and the Cook and Sharpshooter had to go into the water and forcibly drag him out.

He cursed, he pounded on the deck, and he slammed his head against the wood. And we didn't stop him. No one spoke for the longest time, still trying to come to terms with what happened. It was the Cook who finally gave the suggestion to keep moving on. The Navigator said that the log pose had reset. No one wanted to stay.

We found the enemy's ship and crew. We were merciless. But it didn't change the past.

Chapter 25

Captain had a dream. And we carried it out. We didn't have any more adventures, only staying on the islands for as long as necessary. And we reached it. It was the Sharpshooter who found what Captain was looking for. He carried it back to Captain's home island…

Chapter 53

…And now I watch my daughter from afar, hoping she's happy with the woman who raised my Captain. I watch the water for any signs of my old friends. I rebuild the home that was destroyed when I was a child. And I enjoy the life he gave me.


	9. Coby

The Vice Admiral held the book in his hands, examining the cover. The book wasn't his. His friend Kale, a fellow Vice Admiral, had lent it to him. Usually he wouldn't go for books like these. It seemed like a sappy romance novel, but Kale had assured him it was an adventure novel. There was only one chapter that held romance.

He sighed and opened to the first page, ignoring the smug grin kale gave him from across the table. Nothing there but an inscription. "Who's the author? There's no one named."

"Well, I'm assuming the author didn't want her name out to the world." She answered. The thirty year old tilted her head slightly. "My Mom knew her, though. She won't tell me."

"Why?"

"Because it was written by a well-known pirate, apparently." Kale said. "Don't tell anyone. It's a very good book, and if it got out that a pirate wrote it, Sakazuki would ban it."

He had to nod, knowing the tendencies of the Fleet Admiral. He ended up borrowing it, a quick skim of the introduction catching his attention. Kale left him with a knowing smirk, reminding him that she wanted it back when he was finished with it. So that evening, when he had finished his duties for the day, he sat himself outside on the balcony and began to read.

He found it compelling and mysterious. There were no names. There were no indications to who the characters were. The only thing he knew about them were their genders, and what their positions were in the crew. It actually made him think of the Strawhat Pirates. They hadn't been heard from in years, although occasional sighting still came in.

He finished the chapter he was on, stuck a bookmark in between the pages, doused the lantern, and climbed into his bed. As he lay in the darkness, trying to sleep, he thought back to the last time he saw the pirates in person. It was very long ago, but he still remembered it clearly. Eight people, a very small crew. Similar to the nine crew members in the book. The main character actually made him think of Devil Child Nico Robin.

He was a Vice Admiral, so he had access to the information the grunts didn't. For example, the reason they declared war was to get one of their friends back. The same Nico Robin the main character reminded him of. And the report he read seemed very similar to the actions the Strawhats took in the book. As well as… he shook off the thought and turned his thoughts to the reports he still had to finish.

He finished the next few chapters the following night, opting to read inside since it was raining outside, and he knew Kale wouldn't appreciate it if her book was ruined. Some of the passing Marines laughed as he settled himself in the lobby and pulled out, but others stopped and asked how far he was, and what he thought of it. It seemed it was a popular read.

He could honestly say he enjoyed reading it, despite all the mysteries that it held and the questions that were never answered. When he got to chapter 24, he had to stop for a while.

"Wasn't the Captain the main focus of the story?" He asked his friend a day later.

"Oh, so you reached that part," His friend said, and shrugged. "I don't know why the author decided to kill him off. Personally, I wanted to know what he was after. But I have to admit, it gives the story a realistic feeling. It was a real plot twist."

He had to nod, "I suppose. Is it worth it to keep reading?"

His friend shrugged, "You're only half way through, right? I'd finish it. There aren't many answers though. I'd ask Kale if you had any other questions. She's read that book too many times to count."

"It's just a shame," he said, as he began to leave. "The Captain seemed like a good man. He reminds me of an old friend of mine."

His friend just shrugged.

* * *

He finished the book, and returned it to Kale. "Did you like it?" Kale asked.

"It was interesting," He answered. "I've never read anything quite like that. Very realistic."

Kale laughed, smiling brightly. "That's because it is."

"Excuse me?"

Kale looked behind her, leaned closer, and lowered her voice slightly. "My Mom and the author are friends."

He raised his eyebrow. "You know the author?"

"Not me, my Mom. They were really close when she was a teenager."

"And what do you mean by it being realistic?"

Kale sighed, "It was written by a pirate, right?"

"That what you told me."

"It was based on her life. A recounting of her life. Everything is true." She tapped the cover of the book. The simple design hid the complex story inside. "This actually happened."

"How do you know that?"

Kale bit her lip and glanced around the empty hallway again. "My Mom is one of the characters."

"So…" He lowered his voice too, "Your Mom was a pirate?"

Kale nodded, "Usually I wouldn't tell anyone. But I trust you, Coby. And… It was actually her idea to let you know."

"Let me know?"

Kale looked away, training her gaze on the floor and bit her lip. "My Mom's name is Nami. She was a pirate, and the Navigator of the crew in the book."

"I've heard that name before," He said quietly, frowning.

"I don't doubt it," Kale said, giving him a soft, sympathetic smile before she turned away and began walking, vanishing from his sight when he rounded a corner.

He returned to his duties, the name rolling around in his head. He knew that name. "Hey," He asked a nearby worker on his way to deliver a folder to a colleague. "Do you know the name Nami?"

The worker wordlessly pointed at the board filled with the wanted posters of priority catch pirates. He spotted the name after a quick search. "Cat Burglar Nami," He read aloud to himself. "A member of the Strawhat Pirates…"

The folder he was carrying dropped to the ground, scattering the papers across the ground.


	10. A Merry Mary

_"But I was happy."_

Mary turned her head from side to side, even though she knew she was alone in her room. The voice had been bothering her for a while now. It was high pitched and sweet sounding, but Mary didn't want to hear it anymore. The one time she had mentioned it to Olivia, the princess had looked at her like she was crazy and said that if happened again to go see Belladonna.

Mary didn't want to bother the doctor. Whatever was happening to her had happened before, when she was a kid in the care of the Marines. She never told any of them for fear of being tossed out. The voices had stopped when she met Franky, and had held off for a few years after his death. But now it was starting to come back.

_"But I was happy."_

"Shut up," Mary turned on her side and covered her ears. "Leave me alone."

But why were you happy? Mary found herself asking. Who are you?

It seemed the voice had stopped for now, and Mary sat up. She slid off of her bed and left her room. Olivia was probably busy with Hancock, and she didn't get along with the older women who lived in the castle. She left the palace grounds and headed to the beach, where the Thousand Sunny was moored.

Almost no one ever came down to the beach, leaving the Thousand Sunny alone. Mary was grateful for that, climbing aboard and laying out in the grass. The familiar feeling made her smile and forget about the voice for a while.

* * *

"I thought I'd find you here," Mary opened her eyes and turned her head towards the voice.

"Hey, Libby."

Olivia smiled and brushed a strand of her long, dark hair from her face. "Are you alright? You've been distracted lately."

"I've just got some things on my mind," Mary said.

"Like what?" Olivia tilted her head questioningly.

Mary had to smile. "Well, remember that voice?"

"You're still hearing it? I thought I told you to go to Belladonna. Maybe she can help."

Mary shrugged, "I don't think she can. I need to figure this out on my own."

Olivia frowned. "Really? You think that? Can I help?"

"Maybe." Mary sat up. "It always says 'I was happy', but I don't know what it means."

"Is that all it says? Maybe you're imagining it."

"Well, it says more. Things like 'I'm glad I could carry you', and 'We had many great adventures together', or something like that." Mary explained. "They have to be important in some way, right?"

Olivia nodded hesitantly for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

Mary paused. "I don't know. I was thinking about leaving for a bit and trying to find its source."

For a moment it looked like Olivia was going to protest, but she shook her head and said, "If you think it's for the best. I don't like it when you're mad."

Mary walked over and placed her arm around Olivia's shoulders. "I'm not mad. I'm just confused. You see…" She told Olivia of the voice when she was a kid, and how it vanished when Franky found her.

"Did Daddy know?"

Mary shook her head. "I was going to tell him if it started up again, but it never came up."

Olivia bit her lip. "I think you should go and figure it out. I just want you to be happy."

Mary smiled and hugged her sister. "I'll leave tomorrow."

* * *

"Make sure you write," Olivia said as Mary untied the rope holding the small ship to the dock. "And keep me updated. Promise?" She held out her pinky finger.

Mary wrapped her own pinky finger around Olivia's. "I promise. I'll be back."

* * *

The first think Mary realized as she left was that the voice got louder as she travelled in the direction of Reverse Mountain. She had to turn around when she arrived in a place called Jaya, when she found the voice fading again. But it did say something else, and confused Mary even more.

She ended up stopping at a city island. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the voice clearly without any prompting from her mind. Walking through the town, she turned the cheap map around in her hand, trying to figure out where she was going. She ended up walking into a fence.

"Morning, little lady," An amused voice said.

"Good morning," She replied calmly, trying not to look too embarrassed, "Do you know the nearest hotel is?"

"Waiting for your log pose to reset?"

"…Yes. How long does it take?"

"About a week. What brings you here?"

"Personal matters. Oh, that's an impressive shipyard." Mary looked up from the map she was examining to face the man who was speaking, and caught a glimpse of the background.

"You know something about ships?"

Mary nodded, a smile forming on her face. "A lot, actually."

"Well," The blond man held out a hand. "My name is Paulie." Mary shook his hand. He pointed at a street on the map. "There's a hotel here. If you want, you can come back and I'll give you a tour."

"I'm Mary. And is that really alright?"

"As long as you can appreciate the work we put into ships. That, and I'm glad some people know how to dress decently."

Mary blushed and thanked him for the directions. She booked a room and headed back to the shipyard. Paulie hadn't moved much, and spotted her quickly.

"Back already?"

"Yeah. I was hoping you would answer a few questions."

Paulie hesitated for a second, and then nodded. "Alright. Ready for the tour?"

Mary hopped the fence and followed Paulie into the depths of the yard. "This place is amazing!" She said, trying to look everywhere at once. "You could work on at least ten ships at once."

"Have you ever been to Water 7 before?"

Mary shook her head. "I'm afraid I haven't. But my father was from here."

"That's interesting. Where did you grow up to develop such an interest in ships?"

"Aboard a ship," Mary said. "It was just Dad, me and my sister, so we had to do all the repairs. I've been learning to be a shipwright since I was eleven."

"That's young. Are you putting your skills to good use?"

"Yeah. I build and repair ships."

"So you don't live on a ship anymore?"

"Well…" Mary stopped in front of the frame of a ship under construction. "My sister and I settled down a few years ago. We still have the ship, but it just holds memories now."

Paulie clapped a hand on her shoulder, "What was the name of the ship?"

"Can't tell you that."

"Why is that?"

"Dad made me promise. It's a pirate ship."

Paulie laughed, to Mary's surprise. "Is that so…"

"Aren't you going to say that ships used for piracy are a disgrace? I've heard that before."

"No, I was just surprised that there are still pirate ships out there. There are fewer and fewer pirates in the world now. I would say that's a good thing, but I've come to a realization in the past few years."

"Not all pirates are bad people, and they treat their ships with respect." Mary said, and it was Paulie's turn to look surprised.

"That's exactly right." Paulie laughed. "Exactly right. Was your father a pirate?"

"Yeah. I am too, just so you know."

"Which crew?"

"Kuja."

"Seriously? How could your father be part of the Kuja Pirates? Don't they hate men?"

"Don't be a moron. We joined up with them after he died."

"Oh. That… Makes more sense. Sorry." He was silent for a moment, "So you build ships for the Kuja Pirates?"

"Yes."

"That sounds like a hard life."

"Not really. I like being near the water. It's mostly repair work anyway. I don't like seeing ships tossed away because they're not useful anymore. What I do with unusable ships is bring them to a cove close to the village and turn them into playgrounds for children. It's fun. And I live in the palace, so I really can't complain about the work."

_"I'll carry you just a little bit longer."_

Mary clenched her fist as the voice invaded her mind.

"That's impressive. I never would have thought to do that."

"What do you do with the old ships?"

"Well, we have a group of people who dismantle them. They're called the Franky Family, although it should be called the Iceberg Family now, since they follow him."

"Franky?"

"Yeah, he used to live here. Took off years ago to join a powerful pirate crew and he hasn't been seen since. Iceberg was hoping he would return after what happened to his Captain, but he hasn't been seen in years."

"Years, huh? And you said his name was Franky?"

"That's right."

Mary debated asking more about him, but shook her head, "Can I see more of the yard? What are some of your current projects?"

* * *

"And that should be everything."

"This place is huge! And you say there are six other yards, right?"

"It would take all week to look through them. This one's the biggest."

"That's amazing. You guys must be busy."

Paulie insisted on walking her to her hotel, but he ended up eating from the free buffet offered to hotel guests. He had to beg Mary to stay with him so he wouldn't be kicked out.

"I don't even want to know how you got your reputation." She said, sitting across from him with her own plate.

"No," He agreed. "You don't."

He turned the conversation away from him they started up a casual conversation.

"Mary's a delicate name. I'm wondering why your parents chose it if they wanted you to become a shipwright."

"They didn't name me. Or rather, Dad didn't. I was a homeless kid before Dad picked me up. I named myself."

"So why Mary?"

"I don't know. It felt right. It's just a name."

"I suppose." Paulie stood up and went back for more food. Mary picked at her own portion, unable to finish it.

_"I'll carry you just a little bit longer."_

Carry who?

She left.

* * *

The next day she opened her mind and followed it. She borrowed a small boat and sailed out into the sea in the direction of Enies Lobby when the voice led her in that direction. She stopped about two hours into her journey and listened again. Complete silence. Mary pinched the bridge of her nose. If the voice didn't want to be discovered, why did it lead her out here?

She was about to turn around when it began to snow. Mary blinked in confusion and looked up. But she wasn't in her boat anymore. She was standing on the water. She covered her mouth before she could scream and took a couple steps back.

Looking around frantically, she hoped she was dreaming. In front of her was a ship, broken at the forward deck and the bow was almost submerged in the water. It felt familiar; the sheep figurehead, the patchwork jobs.

She heard voices behind her and turned carefully, still aware she was standing on the water. And gasped. Because the people in front of here were people she knew only from pictures. And because three of them were dead.

Mary stepped out of the way as the man known as Monkey D. Luffy sailed forward alone, holding a burning torch. She couldn't hear what he was saying, and then the ship caught fire. Mary scrambled back, listening to the sobs of the crew behind her.

And then there was the voice. Speaking the words that had plagued her ever since she could remember.

_"I'm sorry. I wanted to bring everyone just a little farther. I wanted to always go on adventures together."_

"MERRY!" Mary turned at her name, but it wasn't directed at her. No one could see her. Was that the name of the ship?

_"But I…"_

Strawhat began yelling, apologizing.

_"But I was happy. You always treated me well. Thank you."_

_"I was always so happy. All because of you."_

There was that name again. Merry. Mary. Mary found herself crying. She stepped carefully forward, wanting to see her father up close. He looked different. But suddenly she fell through the water, and came back up sputtering. Turning around, she spotted her boat and swam towards it. The burning ship was gone. She must have been hallucinating. Three dead people. There was no way that really happened.

She grabbed the side of her boat and hefted herself up, rowing back to the island. She changed out of her wet clothing and wrote a letter to Olivia. But… She tried to listen again, but there was nothing. No more voice.

She ran into Paulie the next day. "What do you know about talking ships?"

Paulie chocked, "What?"

"What do you know about talking ships?" She repeated.

Paulie looked taken aback. "Not… Not much. Why?"

"What about reincarnation?"

"What? Nothing. I'm not religious. Why?"

"Do you think that if a person was reincarnated that they would be able to relive experiences of a past life?"

"Well, maybe. I don't know. Why are you asking me?" Mary didn't answer, frowning and running off. "Hey! Wa... She's gone."

"She was cute. She your girlfriend?"

"I just met her a couple days ago… Besides, she's way too young for me."

"What was she talking about?"

"I… I should probably go find her."

He left the yard and followed her to the post office, where she mailed a letter. She started when Paulie grabbed her shoulder. "What were you talking about?"

"Something weird happened to me yesterday," She admitted. "And I don't know what to think of it."

"Want to talk?"

"As long as you don't tell anyone."

"I'm good at keeping secrets. Don't worry." Mary smiled and she followed him to a small café. "Alright. Tell me what's wrong."

She explained the voices that she had been hearing since she was a kid, when they stopped, and then their return. Then she described what she saw the day before, and then how the voices had stopped. "You don't believe me." She accused, as she watched his face slowly adapt an expression of shock.

"It's not that. I do believe you. I was there when the Strawhats retired their ship."

"They kept shouting my name." Mary said. "What does that mean?"

"It wasn't your name, it was the name of their ship." Paulie explained. "Their ship was called the Going Merry. Merry for short. I don't think you would have been born yet."

"No. I don't even know my birthdate."

"But why would you see it?" Paulie mused. "I mean, you're not connected to any of the Strawhats, and this is your first time on the island. Do you think you're her reincarnation? You said something about that earlier."

"It makes the most sense. I did a little research last night. The books said that it's possible to relive moments in past lives if you're in the same place. And, actually, I do have a connection with the Strawhats. A Strawhat." Mary grimaced slightly, "Remember I said my father was from this island?"

"That's right. He was a shipwright, right?"

"No. Not if what you said was true. My Dad's name is Franky. He was the one who built the ship I lived on. The Thousand Sunny."

Paulie dropped his fork. "But didn't you say your father was dead?"

Mary nodded. "Four years now."

Paulie held his head in his hands for a minute. "Well, that explains why he never came back."

Mary reached across the table and patted his hand gently. "He was happy, though. That's what he told us."

Paulie cracked a small smile. "Well, make sure you give him a good legacy, alright?"

"I will."

"And teach the women on Maiden Island to dress more decently!"

* * *

When she left the island, she made a detour to the spot she had seen the hallucination. No, the flashback. As she passed over it, it began to snow again. But there were no appearances of ships or people this time. Just a faint voice.

_"I am happy."_

"You know what, Merry," Mary said aloud, "So am I."


End file.
